A trio of unassuming brothers from Cork via County Wexford, Síoraí Geimhreadh (which means "Eternal Winter" in Irish and is pronounced Sheery Geevra) are now over a decade into their obscure existence. Beginning as a black metal outfit, their current sound is informed by doom and noise rock, but beholden to their own experimental impulses rather than any genre norms. Siorai Geimhreadh's approach intentionally avoids specific genre definition or stylistic markers, instead embracing a sense of openness in their playing. While their music is heavy, intense and noisy, they never strictly follow any one way of playing or attempt to work within a specific style. Instead, they work to create a style of their own through a shared intuitive method. Recent releases see the band constantly dismantling and reassembling their sound. Their 2012 tape (which intentionally was never given a name) consists of two tracks of dense, freeform noise rock. Their 2015 album "Not A Room" (released on Fort Evil Fruit) works around a single repeated pattern, drifting out of structure in a departure from previous work, creating tension through extreme repetition, subtle mumbling synthesiser and an uncanny sparseness. "Sitting Patiently" acts as a counterpoint to "Not a Room". It is a return to the more visceral work of earlier releases, transformed through a focus on freeform methods of playing. "Sitting Patiently" is a single track spread over two sides of an LP. Side A is immediate and disorienting, with frenetic playing and a raw vocal delivery. The B side sees the track find a sense of tangible structure, which proceeds to slowly drift apart as it progresses.

Vestibular Episodes
The ever-evolving Siorai Geimhreadh dropped their latest cut recently after what seem like aaagggeeesss. One of Ireland's best bands in my opinion, they are an act I sometimes wish I had never heard so I could have the pleasure of discovering them and their back-catalogue. This will be a biased review by a fanboy.
The side I assume is side one starts with a kick-in-the-teeth blast. Jerking blistered synths pulsate and bleed into the drumming low-end creating a really disorientating blast of an introduction. If you have been following the evolution if this project the departure from their last release is as shocking as noticing you lost your keys. Lads shouting. Drums veer from grinding to almost jazzy sizzle as guitars crumble and vocals become more and more deranged. This is a real rocking-back-and-forth-in-the-corner jam. There’s an ebb and flow to the track as elements come together and fall apart, but at no point does it feel as if this is a jam or freakout session, I very much get the feeling there is a structure at play that is just beyond my understanding. This band makes me feel like I should read more. And suddenly Side one ends.
Side two starts with an equally bleak and punishing affair but with more of the doomyness they’re recent material has featured. Buzzing guitars lash out before sinking back into the mire, there’s no rush here. This is sit-down-and-think-about-what-you’ve-done music. Feeling more obviously structured than side one this piece still employs the solve-and-coagula methodology. Lads shouting again. They’re trying to tell me something but I don’t quite understand. Things meander in a pensive and almost dreamy way, maybe meander is the wrong word here but there’s a sense of ideas trailing off and coming back to consciousness. In contrast to side one this piece resolves itself with a drifting fade out. Satisfying but exhausting.
A band that really sincerely do not care about convention or stylistic trends, even in that most nebulous genre of Noise-Rock it feels as if they are really a sound-unto-themselves. Every aspect of their sound is unique and particular to them, patient and considered. The dual vocals in particular sound great, fair play to Tommy O’ Sullivan for his mixing, with bands like this there is always the danger that the separate elements can lose their distinction and clarity. Even the artwork has a unique and particular feel to it. Clear but distorted; a colour (!) collage evoking hazy memories in the corner on plain white, some lyrics and some Synnott-centric-symbols, all very tasteful and intriguing, no forced attempt to be dark or shocking. No cliches, no gimmicks. This is a sober and philosophical take on noise rock very much recommended for anyone with an interest in thoughtful and challenging music. Communication is hard, this is a band that seem to understand the massive gulf between what is said and what is meant. 8 out of 10.

Zero Tolerance
Here's one for the heads who're always looking for something a little outre: an Irish trio who take the black metal template and wring it into unfathomable new forms. Sure, fragments of frozen sound might hint at vaguely traditional bm tropes, but Sitting Patiently is more in line with the twisted noise of Wold and the frazzled freeform abandon of The Psychic Paramount. The album's first side passes in a disorienting whirl while the second takes the occasional breath and employs the drunken thud and clunk of noise-rock. Neither option is exactly pretty, but as a whole it works as a startling and thoroughly unique endeavour.